Stormchaser
by Red Tigress
Summary: Mako is 12 when he learns to bend lightning. (One-shot, kid fic.)


Mako watched the firebenders from the abandoned benches of the park. Well, it used to be a park. Fallen into disuse and disrepair, now it was more of a dirt clod where Pro-Bending hopefuls sparred against each other. A few other kids were watching quietly. They were street kids like him.

Mako had finished running the numbers for Shady Shin early that day. Bolin was still running his small job of busing tables in one of the restaurants run by the Triads. The young woman, a non-bender by the name of Rika, looked out for Bolin. Mako trusted her, and even though her restaurant served as a front for organized crime she was fair to them.

Mako had some talent for firebending. He had been using it all his short life. But now he was always working or looking out for Bolin; he hardly had time to practice. When his parents had been killed, he'd vowed he would get better at it to protect his little brother.

But he watched these full grown men and women, and he knew in his heart there was no way his meager bending powers could protect his brother. Not at this rate.

He watched Kozu, a 20-something firebender and obviously the best of the lot. Kozu flipped around, throwing punches in rapid succession that sent fireballs blasting through the air and forcing his sparring partners do dive out of the way. Kozu then followed up by swinging his arms backwards and then bringing them forward rapidly. Where his hands slapped together in front of him, a thin wave of fire erupted like the fin of fish slicing through the water.

It was beauty, it was strength, it was power.

It was everything Mako wanted.

Mako had asked him before today if he would teach him. But Kozu had said he didn't have time to teach kids. So instead Mako had come when he could, studying Kozu's forms and practicing when he could.

An engine growled and all the kids' heads swiveled to look at the approaching car.

Three men got out.

One was the leader of the Triads, Lightning Bolt Zolt.

Some of the kids instantly scattered. The curious-or stupid- ones stayed.

Mako was one of the later.

Kozu lowered his arms, standing up tall to face Zolt.

Zolt spread his arms wide, a fake smile plastered on his face. Behind him, his two bodyguards stood and gave menacing looks to the other bender-hopefuls. "Kozu!" the older man shouted. "Kozu, Kozu, Kozu."

Mako stood up slowly, anxiously.

"Kozu, I was so ready to hear that you had made it into the tournament. Imagine my…surprise…when didn't."

Kozu didn't move. "I'll get you the money," he said slowly.

"How?" Zolt demanded. "Way I see it, you were going to pay me back with money you earned fightin'. And now, you ain't fightin' no more."

"Shut your face, Zolt, I ain't afraid of you. I'll get you the money."

The air became so oppressive, it could have been cut with a knife. In an instant, Zolt's face had gone from mock-jovial to pure, simmering hatred.

"No one," he growled. "Talks to me like that."

Mako felt the hair on his head stand on end, and something in the air sizzled around Zolt.

And it was then Mako learned how Lightning Bolt Zolt lived up to his name.

Mako's eyes seared with the sudden, intense light as Zolt lunged forward, fingertips extended. Lightning shot out towards the younger firebender.

Kozu's hand shot forward, his fingers also extended. For a moment, Mako thought that Kozu was going to shoot lightning back. Instead, the bolt went right to Kozu's fingers. Kozu gritted his teeth and extended his other arm pointing it to the sky. Lightning danced down his arm, across his chest and shoulders, and shot back up his extended arm into the sky.

There was a huge crack in the air, and the lightning dissipated harmlessly.

Lightning Bolt Zolt looked furious. One of the goons behind him jumped forward and crossed his arms in front of his chest. A mound of earth underneath Kozu shot up and trapped him in rock up to his waist. Kozu redirected a second lightning bolt from Zolt, but he couldn't recover quickly enough to dodge a third. He screamed as his body convulsed, and Mako could smell the smoke and burns, even from some distance away.

Zolt's earthbender guard dropped the rock wall and Kozu slumped to the ground. The second guard picked him up and brought him to the car. Nothing was said, there was no gloating. It was just pure, efficient mob business.

_***LoK***_

It was two years later when Mako was 12, that he saw Kozu again. The young firebender was walking to the shelter where he and Bolin were staying that week with their meager possessions, when he tripped over the extended foot of someone lying on the ground.

"Hey," a voice coughed from under a blanket. "Watch it."

"Sorry," Mako said, looking at the man's face. It was dirty and grimey and there was a beard, but a note of familiarity struck Mako.

"Hey…" he said hesitantly. "I think…I know you."

"No you don't," the man grumbled. He turned over.

"Yeah!" Mako said excitedly. "You're Kozu!"

"Kid-" whatever Kozu was going to say was lost as Mako kneeled earnestly in front of him.

"Can you teach me how to bend lightning? I'm pretty good at firebending, I've been practicing on my own, but-"

"Kid, there's no need to learn something like that. It'll just get you into trouble." Kozu sat up, shrugging the dirty coat off his shoulders. Suddenly Mako was struck by how…_old_ Kozu looked. Kozu couldn't have been much older than 25, but he looked like he was in his 40s. His eyes were sunken and weary, and there was no light in them. His shoulders sagged like they were weighing him down, and his head hung forward on his neck like he didn't have the energy to lift it up.

"What happened to you?" Mako whispered, eyes wide.

Kozu gave him a humorous smile. "I pissed off the leader of the Triads one time." He shrugged. "Get out of here, kid. Don't end up like me."

"Please," Mako said quietly. He looked at his feet, scuffing them in the dirt and grime of the alley. "I just want to protect my little brother. Our parents…I need to be stronger." Mako blinked away wetness forming at his eyes. "He's all I've got."

Kozu looked at him for a long time, before he sighed. "Alright. Not doing anything else."

Mako looked up surprised, then grinned widely. "Really?"

Kozu nodded. "Yeah. You gotta bring me some food, though."

_***LoK***_

Mako trained with Kozu for a few weeks, squeezing in the extra time when he could. He didn't have a lot of food to begin with, but he'd find a way to give Bolin his share and usually bring half of his own rations to Kozu. He was a little bit hungrier than usual, but he was convinced it was worth it.

Mako showed a pretty good proclivity for learning lightning bending. His regular fire techniques needed some work, but he had the power that was necessary to lighting-bend, even at a young age. Kozu never shot lightning directly at Mako. He told him how to redirect it, if it was ever used against him, but Kozu wasn't cruel. In fact, Mako noticed some of the light beginning to come back into his eyes from his renewed purpose. Mako also practiced creating the lightning himself. His bolts were small at first, but as he learned how to pull energy in the air around him into his fire, they became bigger.

Mako didn't have to use his lightning bending on another person until he was 14.

Bolin was 12. He clung to Mako, coughing weakly. He had gotten sick a few days before, and it was getting worse, He had gotten a fever, and after Mako himself couldn't make him better, he was going to try and take him to Rika. Unfortunately, it mean they had to gut through Agni Kai territory.

Mako thought they were going to make it. They were only about four blocks from Rika's restaurant when three guys in their late teens cut them off. Mako had been trying to stick to alleys, unnoticed, and unfortunately, that's where they'd been.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't some Triad kids," one sneered.

Mako glared back. "We're not actually Triad members. We just run numbers for them."

"Heh. Kid, you can't work for a gang and then say you don't belong to that gang to get free pass. It don't work like that."

"Mako?" Bolin's voice whispered. His younger brother was leaning heavily against his side, bleary-eyed and sagging.

"My brother's sick," Mako tried. "He needs help. Just let me help him." He noted the huge, intimidating statures of the young men in front of them. "Please," he added.

"Sorry kid, but we can't just let members of the Triads pass through our territory without paying the toll. What kind of message will that send?"

Mako felt his heart leap into his throat. He felt Bolin shove his face into Mako's chest, his hands gripping his shirt tightly. He glanced from one man's face to the next. None showed even an ounce of mercy.

It was just business.

"Bolin, get behind me," Mako whispered to his brother. Bolin did, a frightened tear falling down his flushed face. Mako raised his hands in front of his face, in a fighting stance. "Get out of my way." He said very quietly.

In response, the leader shot forth a bolt of fire right at Mako. Mako used his hands to part it so it went to either side of him and his brother. Mako knew he couldn't run, not with Bolin in the state he was. He had to end it quickly. Or they'd both be dead.

Mako summoned all his strength. He took a huge breath, centering himself. The air cackled around him, and his hair stood on end. He distantly heard his brother cry out his name, but he couldn't pay attention to it. Not now.

He lunged forward, fingers extended. Lightning flew through his body and out his fingers. The terrified and pained screams of the men rang in his ears as the lightning jumped between them like a chain. Mako continued to channel it until his strength gave out, but he still fell to his knees what seemed like a lifetime after his enemies did.

The smell of scorched skin burned his nostrils, and he abruptly fell to his knees and vomited all over the street. He looked up, trembling as he wiped bile from his lips. The Agni Kais bodies were smoking, but they were all moaning painfully. He hadn't killed them.

He got to his feet shakily, pulling Bolin up. Mako almost vomited again when he saw the scared look on Bolin's face. His younger brother was looking frantically from Mako to the Agni Kais and back. "Mako, what…I didn't…"

"Shh, it's okay, Bo." He pulled his brother close into a hug. Bolin was beginning to cry, so Mako turned his brother's face towards his own chest. "Don't look, okay? Don't look. I'm sorry I scared you." He pulled his little brother with him, pass the unconscious Agni Kais.

"Mako…" Bolin was trembling as they continued walking down the street towards Rika's. Mako bit his lip. He wished Bolin hadn't seen that. He didn't want to use lightning bending on other people. He knew now what Kozu had tried to warn him of. The power was terrifying. And almost addicting. It was dangerous, but it was also a tool, something he could use to protect himself and his brother.

He had done it. He had become stronger.

But at what cost?

Conflicted, he held on to his brother more tightly. Bolin didn't seem to notice. Mako buried his face briefly in Bolin's hair as they walked. "Bolin, I'm really sorry. I was…I was trying to protect you, I didn't…I didn't want…" Mako sniffed angrily as tears came to his eyes.

He felt a tug on his shirt and looked down. Bolin was _smiling_ at him. "No, Mako. Thank you. For protecting me."

Mako let out a surprised laugh, before pulling Bolin in tight again. "Of course, Bo. I always will."


End file.
